By Lee Collier
In 2009 Manchester based fighter Hosea Burton became the Senior ABA middleweight champion by beating Kirk Garvey 10–6. On the way to the finals young Burton managed to beat England squad member Karl Kirkham convincingly but has subsequently found it difficult to get into the England or Team GB set up.
This Sunday sees the prestigious England v USA annual fixture at the York Hall in Bethnal Green. Team USA will be no doubt looking to win back some pride after England managed to win 3-0 over in the States in October. For Hosea Burton this is a chance to impress the selectors after fellow middleweight Karl Kirkham lost two of his three fights in the States.
Hosea will have to be at his best as he is fighting Luis Arias, 19, who is highly touted Stateside, even being talked as a future champion by Golden Boy Promotions. Arias best result so far was in the 2008 AIBA Youth World Championships, where he won a bronze. The young Manchester fighter has a chance to impress, which could lead to a shot in Team GB and some lottery funding, this is vital to a young amateur boxer if he wishes to reach the top.
There has been recent speculation that Burton has been approached to join the professional ranks, but for the young fighter the dream of representing his country and Great Britain at the Olympics may keep him in the amateur game.
Joe Gallagher, who trains Hosea Burton, spoke on Hosea’s determination to make the 2012 Olympics and of how much pride the young fighter feels towards representing his country.
“It’s a great honour for Hosea to have his second representation for England against the United States,” declared Gallagher, “it will be a tough fight, and he has thought about turning pro because he feels he has no chance with England but his desire, commitment and his character shows how much the Olympic torch burns inside of him. He wants to represent his country in the Commonwealth games next year more than anything.”
Gallagher is clearly bemused at why the England number one seems to be ignored by selectors. “I’m not sure why he doesn’t get a chance, maybe it’s because his cousin Tyson Fury upset the ABA before. They shouldn’t hold that against the kid but that’s what I feel they are doing,” claimed Gallagher.
“They need to be bigger and more mature and give the kid his chance. They gave another travelling boy a chance in Billy Joe Saunders but it seems that Hosea Burton is guilty by association with Tyson Fury. He has done everything they have asked of him.”
Gallagher then talked about the selection policy and how it is hard to understand the criteria behind it. “I just can’t see what the kid has to do to get any type of funding and to get into the GB Squad,” he continued, “there are kids in the GB squad who never made it to the ABA finals last year and Hosea is the senior ABA champion, ranked number one in the Boxing News and by the ABA, yet he is still ignored. All he wants is a fair crack with the GB squad.”
In a year where the home nations under performed in the World Championships and we have seen Liam Cameron, a fellow 2009 Senior ABA champion, turn pro, citing the politics and selection policy of the ABA as the reason, let’s just hope that a good performance by Burton against the United States on Sunday sees him propel himself into the GB squad, otherwise British boxing could lose another top quality amateur boxer.
